All the top new features coming to MacOS Sequoia
Apple is official announced the latest version of its operating system for Mac. This time, Apple follows the “California locations” naming convention and uses macOS Sequoia. (Yes, the conifer is a tree, but it is also A national park in northern California.)
Also known as macOS 15, the new operating system packs a ton of new features for the desktop, including a password manager app, video conferencing tools, and updates to Safari, as well as all features come with Apple Intelligence—the company’s new artificial intelligence. intelligence support system. Below, we break down all the new features coming to macOS Sequoia when it ships this fall.
Be sure to also check out ours Summary of features of iOS 18 and iPadOS 18 for all the new features coming to your iPhone and iPad and our look at the What’s new in watchOS 11.
Is your Mac compatible?
MacOS Sequoia or macOS 15 is a free update for your Apple computer. But some features, like Apple Intelligence (more on that later), are exclusive to Macs with M-series Apple silicon chips. To see which Mac model you have, click the Apple logo above menu bar in the upper left corner of your screen and click About this Mac. We’ve listed all the models that can run macOS Sequoia below.
- MacBook Air: 2020 onwards
- MacBook Pro: 2018 onwards
- Mac Mini: 2018 onwards
- iMac: 2019 onwards
- iMac Pro: 2017 onwards
- Mac Pro: 2019 onwards
- Mac Studio: 2022 onwards
MacOS Sequoia is currently only available as a developer beta, but a public beta (where anyone can try out features) will be available in July.
New features
Below, we break down all the major features coming to MacOS 15. For the full list, visit Apple’s official website preview page.
Mirror iPhone
Photo: Apple
Sometimes your iPhone is in another room or deep in your bag. In those moments when you simply don’t want to get up to look for it but need to use it, you’ll pull it up on your computer. As part of Apple Continuity features, iPhone Mirroring gives you the ability to wirelessly access and interact with your iPhone using your Mac.
When this feature is active, you’ll see your iPhone’s custom Home screen appear. From there, you can use your keyboard, trackpad, or mouse to drag and drop content (like photos, videos, and files) between both devices, open and use any app, and swipe through them all. pages on your Home screen, and view and respond to notifications. While you are doing all of this, your iPhone will remain locked. It also works when your iPhone is in Standby mode, a feature from iOS 17 that turns your iPhone into a smart display while it’s charging.
Update Safari
Photo: Apple
MacOS Sequoia offers several new features for Safari. With Highlights, Safari uses machine intelligence to show you relevant information from the web like directions, links, summaries, and restaurant reviews. Apple also redesigned Reader to minimize distractions. In addition to a better-looking article view, you’ll also see a summary and table of contents (for longer articles). If the site includes a video, Viewer will bring that video to the forefront while still giving you access to playback controls (including Picture in Picture).
Window tiling
Video: apple
People who keep multiple browser windows open at the same time will appreciate the new Window Stacking feature that helps organize them for a better viewing experience. When you drag a window to the edge of your screen, the new operating system automatically suggests a tile location on your screen. (It’s similar to Capture on Windows.) You can then drop the window into place, arrange multiple windows side by side, or place them in any of the four corners to make room for more applications. To organize faster, you can also use keyboard shortcuts and menu shortcuts.
Video conferencing tools
Photo: Apple
Last year, Apple added a lot of new video conferencing tools with MacOS Sonoma includes Presenter Overlay, Reactions, and various features for the Mac’s built-in webcam. This year, the company will add a few more products. With apps like FaceTime and Zoom, you’ll have access to new presenter preview capabilities that let you see the content you’re about to share before actually sharing it. Meanwhile, the built-in wallpaper feature lets you apply a system wallpaper, gradient, or your own photo as the background for video calls. Apple says the feature will be available on FaceTime and third-party apps like Webex.
New password application
Photo: Apple
If you’ve never loved Keychain, you now have a better choice: macOS Sequoia comes with a new Passwords app that lets you access all your passwords (including Wi-Fi passwords). , passcode and verification code in one place. It keeps all your Apple devices in sync, running on Windows machines (use iCloud for Windows app) and supports end-to-end encryption.
See more by message
Photo: Apple
Several new Messages features are coming to macOS Sequoia—and by extension, iOS 18 and iPadOS 18. You’ll be able to format your text in Messages using bold style treatments, italicize, underline and strikethrough. You will also have the ability to add animation to a specific word in the text. For some phrases and words, you’ll also see suggestions appear as you type. Apple has also added a new Tapback—instead of using the traditional heart, thumbs up, thumbs down, question mark, or exclamation mark, you’ll also see options to use emojis and stickers. Another standout new feature is the option to schedule your messages in advance so they are sent later.
Apple’s smart features
Photo: Apple
In addition to the above features, the company also announced new AI capabilities powered by Apple is smart— the “personal intelligence system” built into MacOS Sequoia, as well as iOS 18 and iPadOS 18.
